Internal combustion engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. J. HICKEY Filed Jan. 27, 1939 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE H. J. HICKEY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE an I Filed Jan. 27, 1939 May 21, 1940.

Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to the particular type of engine disclosed in my prior Patent Number 1,995,307, issued March 26, 1935, in which a separate chamber is provided which communicates with the main working cylinder through a port adapted to be covered and uncovered by the Working piston.

A general object of the invention is to increase the efficiency of an internal combustion engine.

A more specific object is to increase the compression ratio of the engine without producing undesirable knocking and excessive bearing strain.

In the engine disclosed in my aforementioned prior patent, the valve arrangement and valve passages are such as to provide auxiliary chambers leading into the main working cylinder, but spaced from the end of the cylinder so that they are covered and uncovered by the main working piston. Furthermore these auxiliary chambers are positioned near the inner end of the cylinder (the inner end being defined as that in which the gaseous charge is compressed), so that they are open to receive gas during the compression stroke of the engine until the piston gets quite near the end of its stroke, after which they are cut off until after the charge in the end of the cylinder has been ignited and the piston has returned part way on its working stroke. As the piston uncovers the auxiliary chambers on the working stroke, the gas previously com-' pressed into the auxiliary chambers is ignited to increase the force against the piston during the midportion of the stroke when the piston is traveling most rapidly, and is exerting a thrust on the crank at a more effective angle.

The construction of the prior patent is very useful in that it greatly increased the compression ratio that could be employed without knocking and provided an engine of great overall efiiciency. I have discovered, however. that the efficiency of the engine can be further increased by providing restricted passages which communicate the working cylinder with the auxiliary chambers during the extreme end of the stroke of the piston. This permits a certain amount of the gases compressed in the end of the cylin der to escape into the auxiliary chambers after the working piston has covered the ports leading to the auxiliary chambers. This reduces the peak thermal pressure and the peak thrust on the bearings of the engine, thereby permitting the use of a higher average compression ratio Which results in increased total efficiency without objectionable results.

A full understanding of the present invention may be had from the detailed description of a particular embodiment of the invention illus- 5. trated in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view through an engine in accordance with the invention, showing the piston in dead center position at the end of the exhaust stroke and the beginning of the 10. intake stroke;

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are schematic views showing the working piston and the valve pistons in the positions they occupy during the intake stroke,

the compression stroke, a first part of the work- 1 ing stroke, and a second stroke, respectively; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation view of piston, shown in section in Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the engine therein dis- 20 closed comprises as its essential elements, a working cylinder l, a working piston 2 mounted therein, a crankshaft 3 having a center of rotation 4 and having a throw 5 on which is mounted a connecting rod 6, the upper end of which con- 25 nects to the wristpin 7 of the piston I. It will be understood that the engine may be of the multicylinder type, various details of which are part of the working the working disclosed in my prior patent, previously referred to. However, for the purpose of explaining the 30 present invention, it is necessary only to consider the structure of one cylinder, and its associated working piston and valve mechanism.

The working cylinder I has associated therewith a pair of valves of the piston type. Thus 5 there is an inlet valve cylinder 8 having a valve piston 9 reciprocable therein, and an exhaust valve cylinder Ill having a valve piston l! reciprocable therein. The inlet valve piston 9 is ac-- tuated through a connecting rod l2 from athrow l3 on an auxiliary crankshaft M which is driven through a sprocket l5 thereon, a chain l6 and a sprocket I! on the crankshaft 3 at one-fourth the speed of the main crankshaft and in the same direction. The exhaust valve piston II is 45 similarly reciprocated through a connecting rod 18 and a throw I9 on a second auxiliary crankshaft 25] which is also driven in the same direction and at one-fourth the speed of the main crankshaft 3 by the chain I 6 which in addition 50 to being looped over the sprocket i5 is also looped over a sprocket 22 on the auxiliary crankshaft 20. The intake valve piston 9 is hollow and open at the upper end but has a partition wall 23 which interrupts communication between the upper portionof the hollow valve and the crankcase. Similarly, the exhaust valve piston H has a partition 24 therein. The intake valve cylinder 8 communicates directly at its upper end with an intake manifold 25 and similarly the upper end of the exhaust valve cylinder H3 communicates with an exhaust manifold 28.

3 Each of the pistons 9 and H has a plurality of sealing rings 27 thereon, which effects a seal between certain annular grooves in the outer surface of the piston and ports in the piston. Thus the intake valve piston 9 has an upper, annular groove 28, an intermediate annular groove 29, and a lower annular groove 30. The exhaust valve piston H has upper, intermediate and lower annular grooves 3|, 32 and 33, respectively. The intake valve piston 9 has a port 34 positioned between the annular grooves 28 and 29 and a port positioned between the annular grooves 29 and 39. Similarly, the exhaust valve piston H has a port 33 positioned between the annular grooves 32 and 33.

When the intake valve piston 9 is in its midstroke position, the ports 34 and 35 register with the outer ends of a pair of passages 38 and 39, respectively, in the cylinder wall I', the inner ends of these passages terminating in longitudinally spaced ports in the cylinder surface. Similarly, when the exhaust valve piston H is in midposition, the ports 36 and 31 register with the outer ends of a pair of passages 49 and 4|, respectively, in the wall of cylinder I; the inner ends of these passages likewise terminate in longitudinally spaced ports opening into the working cylinder.

When the intake valve piston 9 is in uppermost position, the outer ends of the passages 38 and 39 register with the annular grooves 29 and 30, respectively, and when the valve piston is in extreme lowermost position, the outer end of the passages 38 and 39 register with the piston grooves 28 and 29, respectively. The purpose of these annular grooves is to distribute the gas pressure developed in the working cylinder and applied through the passages 38 and 39 to all sides of the valve piston 9 so as not to develop side pressure thereon.

The exhaust valve piston ll functions in a manner similar to that outlined for the intake valve piston, Thus the passages 40 and 4| register with the annular grooves 3| and 32 when the valve piston is in lowermost position and with the grooves 32 and 33 when the valve piston is to that of any prior patent.

in uppermost position.

In the particular structure shown in Fig. l, a spark plug 42 is provided in the inner end of the cylinder l for igniting the charge from any suitable ignition system, not shown. It is to be understood, however, that the principles of the invention may be applied to engines of the Diesel or semi-Diesel type in which other means than spark plugs are employed to ignite the charge.

The structure so far described corresponds The present invention involves additional structure, whereby the lower passages 4| and 39, which are covered and uncovered by the working piston, are communicated with theinner end of the working cylinder during a portion of the time when they are covered by the piston. To this end the piston 2 has restricted passages 45 and 46 extending diagonal- 1y therethrough from the side walls of the piston to the end wall thereof. As shown in Fig. 6, there are four passages 45 and four passages 46, all

arranged to register, at their lower ends, with their associated cylinder passages 4| and 39 during a certain portion of the stroke of the piston 2. As shown in Fig. 6, the lower ends of the passages 45 are spaced arcuately along the piston surface but they all register with the passage 4| because the latter is elongated circumferentially at its inner endwhere it enters the cylinder wall.

a The number of the passages may be varied, and

also the diameter. I have found it satisfactory to employ four passages in each group as shown in Fig. 6, and to make each passage approximately one-eighth inch in diameter in an engine having a bore diameter of 3% inches. The usual sealing rings ll of the working piston 2 are positioned below the level of the passages 45 and 43.

I prefer to so vertically position the outer ends of the piston passages 45 and 4-6 that they begin to register withthe passages 4! and 39 when the crankshaft is about 13 ahead of dead center position. It follows that the passages 43 and 46 remain in communication with the passages 4| and 39 while the piston is moving over dead center and break connection 18 past dead center position. This communication of the end of the cylinder with the passages 4| and 39 through the restricted passages 45 and .45 in the piston provides an outlet for the exploded gases in the end of the cylinder during the time of peak pressure; that is, immediately following the ignition of the charge. It thereby reduces the peak thermal pressure and as a result reduces the tendency to knock and reduces the maximum force on the bearings. As a result, the space above the piston at dead center position may be reduced to further increase the overall compressive ratio of the engine above what it could be if the passages 45 and 45 were omitted.

To completely clarify the operation of the enwith passages 49 and 4|. At this time the intake valve 9 is moving down and the valve piston ports 34 and 35 are just beginning to register with the passages 38 and 39. As the working piston moves downward on its intake stroke, as shown in Fig. 2, the exhaust valve piston H continues its upward movement, maintaining the outer ends of the passages 49 and M closed and intake valve piston 9 has'moved downward to communicate passages 38 and 39 with the intake manifold 25. Therefore as the working piston 2 moves downward it draws a charge through the manifold 25 and the passages 38 and 39 into the working cylinder I. After the working piston passes over dead center position, it strikes its upward or compression stroke. During this stroke, the exhaust valve piston H reaches its fully closed position, in which the annular grooves 32 and 33 register with the outer ends of the. passages 49 and 4!. Likewise the intake valve piston 9 continues its downward movement to carry the ports, 34 and 35 out of registration with the passages 38 and 39 and align the grooves 29 and 29 with the passages 38 and 3,9. The pistons are approaching this position in Fig. 3 and have fully reached themends of passages 39 and 4| by movement of the a given engine, however, it is usually desirable working piston, the charge compressed in the main cylinder escapes into those passages 4| and 39 and the juxtaposed grooves 33 in the exhaust pistons H and groove 29 in the intake valve piston. Furthermore, as soon as the working piston approaches within 18 of dead center position the piston passages 45 and 46 again inter-communicate the inner end of the working cylinder with the passages 4| and 39 to permit at least partial equalization of the pressures in the working cylinder and in the passages 4! and 39, as the charge explodes.

When the charge explodes, the pressure is materially increased in the working cylinder and in the passages 40 and 38 which communicate directly therewith. However, this extreme pressure is immediately partially relieved by escape of the expanding gases through the passages 45 and 46, into the passages 4| and 39. Of course this transfer of gases through the passages 45 and 46 takes place only during 36 of movement of the crankshaft as the working piston moves past dead center. Thereafter the outer ends of the piston passages 45 and 46 clear the ports 4| and 39 in the working cylinder, and all of the force of the burning gas above the working piston is exerted against the piston until it clears the passages 4| and 3t during its downward movement. This clearance of the passages 39 and 4| permits the burning gases in the working cylinder above the working piston to ignite the gases that were previously compressed in passages M and 39, thereby increasing the pressure on the working piston at substantially the midpart of its stroke, as fully explained in my prior patent. previously referred to.

Fig. 5 shows the position of the working piston after it has cleared the passages 4| and 39 during the working or explosion stroke. It will be observed that in this position the outer ends of the passages 38, 39, 40 and 4| are still sealed by the intake and exhaust valve pistons. At the end of the working stroke the exhaust valve piston II will have moved down sufficiently to begin to register its ports 36 and 31 with the passages 40 and 4!. respectively, which registration increases and decreases during the exhaust stroke and terminates at the end of the exhaust stroke, as shown in Fig. 1.

In view of the act that the valve pistons travel at only one-quarter of the speed of the working pistons. the ports in the valve pistons move into and out of registration with the working cylinder passages while traveling in opposite directions during successive cycles of the working pistons. This was brought out in my previous patent, and need not be explained further herein.

It is my belief that the piston passages 45 and 45 do not permit the propagation of flame therethrough from the working cylinder to the passages 4l and 39 but merely function to relieve the extreme pressure in the working cylinder while delivering some more or less completely burned gases through the passages 39 and 4|. Certainly the combustible gases initially supplied to the passages 39 and 4| during the compression stroke are not completely ignited by any flame propagation through the passages 39 or 46 because tests show that there is a rise in the thermal pressure during the power stroke of the working piston as the latter clears the passages 39 and 4|. Of course by increasing the size of the passages 45 and 46 the pressure relieving effect in the main cylinder may be increased. In

to only relieve the peak pressure sufficiently to prevent knocking and bearing destruction. The size and number of passages 45 and 46 depends very largely on the compression ratio of the engine. It can be determined by experiments for any particular engine.

In some instances it may be found useful to provide only the piston passage 45 and omit the passage 46, or vice versa.

Although at the present time I believe that the best method of reducing the peak pressure in the working cylinder is to employ the passages and 45 in the working piston, it is possible to obtain certain advantages by employing restricted passages elsewhere than in the piston for permitting restricted flow of gas from the cylinder to the ports as and 4!. Thus passages 59 and 56, respectively, may be provided in the cylinder Wall, the passage 5|) interconnecting the inlet passages 38 and 39 and the passage 5| interconnecting the exhaust passages 48 and 4|.

Of course there may be any desired .number of the passages to and the passages 5|. Each passage should be relatively small to prevent flame propagation therethrough, and if one passage does not relieve the peak pressure sufficiently, additional small passages may be added so as to provide for the relief of the peak pressure without permitting flame propagation through the passages.

It is to be clearly understood that the passages 59 and 5! may be eliminated, may be used in combination with the passages 45 and 46, or may be used alone in place of the passages 45 and :36, or may be used alone in place of the passages 45 and 46. Tests on diiferent engines of different design may indicate that best resuits can be obtained by employing both the passages 5i] and 5| in the cylinder wall and the pas sages s5 and 46 in the piston, the dimensions of the two setsof passages being suitably dimensioned.

There is of course a difference between the actions of the passages 4 5 and 46 in the piston and the passages 50 and 5| in the cylinder wall. Whereas the piston passages 45 and 46 intercommunicate the passages 39 and 4| with the combustion chamber in the cylinder only during the end portion of the stroke of the working piston (while the outer ends of the passages 45 and 45 are in registration with the passages 39 and 4|, respectively), the passage 59 permanently intercommunicates the passages 38 and 39, and the passage 5| permanently intercommunicates the passages 40 and 4!. Since gas will tend to flow from the cylinder through passage 5:: into passage 39 and through passage 5i into passage 4|, as soon as the working piston covers the passages 39 and 4| on its compression stroke, there is a longer interval during which gases can flow from the cylinder into the passages 39 and H, and thence in general the size of the pas- I claim:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder and working piston reciprocable therein, a chamber and a port communicating it with said cylinder, said port being so located as to be covered by said piston adjacent the compression end of its stroke, and uncovered by said piston as it recedes from the compression end of its stroke, and means including a passage extending through said cylinder wall for communicating said chamber with said cylinder during at least a portion of the time while said port is covered by said piston.

2. In an internal combustion engine comprising a working cylinder and a working piston reoiprocable therein, passages extending into said cylinder for the intake and exhaust of gases, at least one of said passages entering said cylinder through the lateral wall thereof at such a position as to be covered by said piston toward the end of the compression stroke anduncovered by said piston during the power stroke, valve means for closing and opening said passage at a point spaced from said cylinder, means actuat- 1 ing said valve means to close said passage during the compression and power strokes of the engine, and means providing a restricted passage communicating said passage with said cylinder during at least a portion of the time while said passage is covered by said piston.

3. An internal combustion engine as described in claim 2, in which said means communicates said passage with said cylinder at least during that time when said piston is reversing its movement at the compression end or its stroke.

4. An internal combustion engine as described in claim 2, in which said means communicates said passage with said cylinder during only a fraction of that portion of the stroke of the working piston during which said passage is covered by said piston.

5. An internal combustion engine as described in claim 2, in which said communicating means comprises an opening extending through said working piston from the side thereof to the inner end thereof for communicating said passage with said cylinder during at least a portion of the time while said passage is covered by said piston.

6. An internal combustion engine as described in claim 2, in which said communicating means includes an opening extending through said piston from the side thereof to the inner end thereof, the side orifice of said opening being so positioned longitudinally of said piston as to be in registration with said passage in the cylinder wall only during movement of said pistonthrough the extreme end portion of its stroke and during only a fraction of the total portion of the stroke in which said passage is covered by said piston. I

HENRI J. I-HCKEY. 

